


Dark and Stormy Night

by icryforbensolo



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Because of the vampires, Ben is a drama queen, Ben is angsty, Between Kylo and Snoke, Blood, Covens, Drinking, Emotional Abuse, F/M, Just something to be aware of, Masturbation, Mentions of Violence, Mild Gore, Mystery, No Pregnancy, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parties, Rey has a nose ring, Rey low key goth, Rose is a nerd, Some angst, Stalking, Vampires, Violence, but not by the main characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:28:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25898212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icryforbensolo/pseuds/icryforbensolo
Summary: Rey is entering her freshman year of college, deciding that this is the perfect chance to start over: new city, new look, new friends. A new life. In walks in her mysterious classmate, Kylo, and her new life plans take a sudden turn
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 28
Kudos: 49





	1. Introducing

**Author's Note:**

> I do not have an outline. I do not know what I'm doing. We're just gonna roll with it.  
> This is my love letter to all the vampire stories I read, because they have my heart.

Nobody told Rey that late August in Minneapolis is hot. Not as hot as Arizona, sure, but she really thought that Minnesota was tundra and not warmth. Sweating through her all black jersey dress, she gazes up at the brick dorm building that is her home for the next ninth months. A cheery neon welcome week banner is plastered across the building making Rey roll her eyes.

“Have you checked in?” A random person asks. Rey turns to face him. He’s grinning, all charm and goodwill, black curls slicked back slightly, showcasing his quite symmetrical face. He had one of the bright green t-shirts that alerted people that he’s an orientation leader.

Rey nods quickly, she feels her three bun updo coming out slightly as she does. “Um, hi, yes, I’m Rey. Rey Johnson. Um, on my sheet it says I’m in Pioneer Hall, South Side. Room 405.” She shows him her info sheet that she got from check in. 

“Rey. Well, Rey, you are in the perfect place. And with the right guy, your own of mine. I’m the RA for 4A, which is you! I’m Poe, Poe Dameron,” he replies cheerily. Rey isn’t sure if he’s actually this cheery or if he just has had a lot of caffeine. She strongly suspects it is the latter, based on the bags under his eyes. “Okay, so do you have all your stuff?” Rey looks at her two suitcases, her purse, and her backpack. She nods. Poe looks uncertain but shrugs. 

Rey suddenly feels self-conscious about her lack of stuff and the fact that she has no one with her to help move. She truly packed everything she owned into those bags. Everything else she figures she can get in Minneapolis at Target or something. Poe grabs one of her bags and she grabs the other and together they lug the bags up the stairs and towards the elevator. Poe prattles on about some of the rules and policies and Rey tunes him out as soon as he says, “I’ll cover this again during the floor meeting.” Because why bother hearing it twice? Poe has no idea that she’s not paying attention, instead taking in all the chaos and commotion of people moving in. She watches as people haul flat screen TVs and twinkle lights. She takes a deep breath and that’s when she realizes. The hall does not have air conditioning. It is literally 95 degrees outside plus the dew point, and there is no AC. Great. “Sometimes it gets really spooky here. According to legend, this dorm is crazy haunted.”

Rey perks up at that. “Haunted? Haunted how?” 

Poe looks at her and smirks, as though to say, yeah you look like the type who wants to hear ghost stories with your little black nose ring and your docs and black dress. “The story goes that Pioneer Hall used to be an insane asylum back in the day, and some of the patients still haunt here. Honestly, that’s not even the most interesting ghost story.” Poe says, as he opens the door that leads to the stairwell that spirals up, up, up.    
“Oh?” Rey replies, trying to sound casual while she really is trying to feast on as much information as possible. 

Poe nods. “Okay, you didn’t hear this from me. But last year, one of my fellow RAs, Zorii, was walking back here through the tunnels--and, like the tunnels can be super shady on the best of days--anyway, she was walking through the tunnels and right as the tunnel turns toward Pio, the lights started flickering. And then she saw this figure--all pale and ominous and huge. And before she could get a good look, the figure disappeared. Now, normally, I’d just think she was seeing things, but then she looked at the ground and saw drips of blood leading all the way to the door to Pio. Creepy, right?” 

Rey nods, but she isn’t so sure. It’s strange, but it could’ve been anything. Poe continues, “There’s a lot of stories like that, honestly, across campus. I’m pretty sure there’s a forum somewhere about the Minneapolis Phantom. It’s probably some frat guy fucking around, but it’s kind of eerie. Anyway, here we are. Fourth floor.” 

Rey looks up and looks at the narrow hall lined with doors on either side of her. She follows Poe as he walks down the hall, stopping at the third door down. “Well, would you look at that? Your roommate is already here!” 

Rey takes a deep breath as she walks into the threshold of her room, preparing to meet her roommate. They’ve spoken a little bit through Facebook, whenever Rey had the chance to sneak to the Jakku city library and use their computers. All she knows about Rose is that she loves anime, the color purple, and is super close to her sister. A tiny Vietanmese woman with jet black hair squeals and pulls Rey into a hug. “Oh my god, you must Rey! Welcome to our new home! I’m so excited,” Rose has an excitable personality, something that was infectious and lovely. Rey couldn’t help the grin that broke out on her face. “Okay, so this is my sister, Paige. She’s a senior like Poe. She’s Pre-Med, so she often volunteers at the hospital literally right across the street.” Rey smiles and waves at Paige. The sisters had similar round faces and bright, intelligent eyes. Rey is beginning to understand why the two are seemingly inseparable. 

Poe grins and says hi to Paige and then ducks out of the room to greet more new kids. Rose gives Rey a quick tour of their room, which wasn’t much. “We decided it would be best if we kept the beds lofted, so that way we can have more space for everything. You have the left side of the room, obviously, but the room is so small that we’re probably going to share a lot of space,” Rose informs her. Rose looks around towards Rey’s bags. “Is that all you have?” Rose asks, not unkindly. 

Rey nods. “The flight over only allowed two checked bags and a carry-on, so that’s what I brought,” Rey tells her new roommate.She does not tell her that this is all she has, how she ran off as quickly and as soon as she could. “Anything else I need, I’ll just get now that I am here.” 

Rose nods and smiles. “We got you covered. We’ll go shopping ASAP. But first, we gotta get ready and meet people. Maybe we’ll meet people in our majors!” One of the few things that Rey and Rose spoke about was their intended majors, Rose was in mechanical engineering, she says that she’s wickedly smart around machines. Rey, on the other hand, didn’t have a clue what she wanted to do, but she loved to read, so she told her admissions officer that she’s an English major. So that’s what she is. 

Paige leaves the two freshman girls alone as they walk outside and into the heat. Rose tells Rey about all the cool clubs and activities that she wants to try on campus. Rey listens and observes her surroundings. The campus is slightly strange, a weird blend of urban and that stereotypical campus look. It almost felt as though the college grew into the city, slowly consuming it like a weed. Rey watches as kids zoom by on their bikes. They walk towards Washington Avenue and watch the light rail come in, dropping off passengers with backpacks. They continue their walk, weaving back and forth between streets. The campus is so huge, Rey knew that she’s gonna get lost at least six times. They walk across the bridge over the Mississippi River, pausing so that Rey can scope out the river. After 18 years living in a desert, the greenery surrounding the river was incredible to see. “Just wait until the leaves start to turn, then it gets really cool,” Rose says, after Rey informs her of this fact. 

The two don’t meet anyone new, not really, but they do find themselves enjoying each other’s company. After their little walk around campus, the two head back to their dorms. On their way up the stairs, they run into their neighbor, Finn. He’s also a new kid on the block. After brief introductions, names and majors, they all get to chatting about their lives. 

“I mean, I’m from Saint Paul, so my parents didn’t want me to stay in the dorms to save money, but I wanted the full college experience,” Finn tells the two girls. Finn, Rey realizes, is a very handsome young man. Like Poe, he has a sort of boyish charm about him. Unlike Poe, there’s still an innocence towards it. 

“What about you, Rey? What’s your story?” Finn asks, his dark brown eyes kind. Finn has the sort of demeanor, Rey notices, in which he wears his heart on his sleeve. 

“I don’t really have a story. I’m from Jakku, which is basically a nowhere town in the middle of Arizona. And now I’m here.” 

“Oh, I’ve always wanted to go to Arizona! Have you been to the Grand Canyon?” Rose asks.

Rey fidgets slightly. “Yeah, no, have not been to the Grand Canyon...that’s not really the part of Arizona I’m from.” She really hopes that this conversation doesn’t take the turn that it’s looking like it’s going to take. 

“I hope this isn’t a rude question, but when did you come to America?” Finn asks, “...’cause your accent...is not an Arizona accent, I’m sure.”

Rey tenses. “Um, yeah. My parents were from the UK, so I got my accent from them.” Rey responds. Neutral, not too revealing, she hopes. 

Finn nods, seeming to get a good enough answer not to pry. Or maybe he’s just a startlingly perceptive person and notices her discomfort. That thought warms Rey completely. 

Rey fiddles with her nose ring as the three of them talk. Finn mentions a party that he heard about from a friend. Rose jumps in excitement at the idea of a party. Butterflies flutter in Rey’s stomach at the idea of going to an actual college party for the first time. Less than one day has passed, and Rey already felt like her life is changing for the better. 

Rose and Rey part ways with Finn, having exchanged numbers with a promise of meeting him later at the party. They relax for a bit, unpacking parts of their room and writing a list of things they want to get during their Target run. 

Soon enough, they start getting ready for the party. Rose wears a multicolored romper type thing that suits her skin tone completely and hugs her curves in all the right places. Rey sticks to all black, which basically is her signature color these days. She’s trying something new and she’s kind of digging it. 

☾

It is a dark and stormy night. Clouds roll into the city, thunder rumbling in the distance. Rey shivers in anticipation as she and Rose walk towards the house throwing the party. Now that a storm’s coming, Rey wants to head back to the dorm and watch the rain fall on the window sill and maybe draw. 

The two girls walk up the stairs of the old blue house and are instantly greeted by Finn, already there and seemingly two drinks in. He drags the two girls into the kitchen where they meet two girls, Kaydel and Jannah. They are without a doubt the two coolest people Rey has ever seen in her life. Rey felt like a child compared to them with their casual attitude and lacy crop tops. Rey stares at the soft planes of Jannah’s stomach and spots a belly button piercing. Rey gulps and quickly averts her eyes before anyone catches her. 

Kaydel helps get them drinks and gives them the low down on where to party and where not to and the bars that card and don’t. Her hooded eyes gazing at Rey, scanning her from top to bottom--taking in Rey’s tight black skirt and shirt, her trust docs, and then Kaydel grins. “I know the best place to get fakes too.”

“Fake what?” Rey replies before taking a large sip of the strange concoction in her red plastic cup. She scrunches her nose as the intense taste of booze fills her taste buds. 

Kaydel’s grin widens as she laughs. “A fake ID, silly.”

Rey freezes. This is both nothing and exactly what she expected college to be. “We’ll talk about it soon, for now we dance.” 

And they did, bumping and grinding to whatever songs were playing. The music is nothing that Rey ever listened to, but Rey mostly listened to dark and gloomy songs that aren’t really meant for dancing. The alcohol hits Rey quick and she feels sort of light and floaty, as though nothing in the world matters. 

Suddenly, there’s a loud clap of thunder, making Rey gasp and jump. She turns around as the door swings open and a man stands at the threshold. 

He is without a doubt the most handsome man that Rey had ever seen. Impossibly large, he appears to take up the entire doorway with his body. His body is covered in head to toe black, which made his pale skin emphasized. And his face, not quite symmetrical, but stunning nonetheless. He has a smattering of moles and freckles, a long nose, and full lips. Very full and very pink lips. Rey sort of wants to bite them. It’s his eyes, though, that makes Rey’s breath hitch and her to squirm slightly. He stares directly at her, leaving her frozen under his gaze. Something is very strange about his eyes, whiskey brown but with a hint of something more that Rey couldn’t quite place. A small little voice in her head sees those eyes and screams danger, run! But Rey stays, hypnotized under his gaze. 

“May I come in?” the man asks, in a slow and deep drawl. Rey’s toes curl in her docs when she hears that voice. One of the hosts must have told him yes, because the man walks in slow and steady and right towards Rey.

Which can’t be possible, Rey thinks. Rey’s nobody, a nothing girl from a nowhere place. Why on earth would a man like that come her way? So Rey does what at the time seems like the most logical thing to do, she runs away--out the back door and onto the deck. 

Somehow it isn’t raining quite yet, but the anticipation from the clouds is enough. Rey sighs and stares up at the sky, feeling as though she can fully breath for the first time all day. 

“You should probably head back inside, it’s about to start raining any second now,” a voice murmurs. Not just any voice--the voice. His voice. Rey turns around, defensive. 

The man is the portrait of casual, looking at her with those intense eyes in total fascination. He leans over the bannister of the deck and flexes his hands out. Rey stares at his hands--huge with long fingers, veins slightly protruding. 

“Did you follow me out here?” she asks.

He shrugs, which annoys Rey. “Who are you? I feel like I’ve met you before,” he says, definitely not answering her question. 

“That’s impossible, seeing as I have no idea who you are.” What she doesn’t say is that she feels the exact same way, inexplicably pulled into this stranger as though she has known him her whole life.

His lips quirk up, not quite in a smile. “People call me Kylo Ren,” he tells her. Vague.

“And what do you call yourself?” she asks.

This time he actually smiles, so quick that you almost miss it. “I suppose I call myself the same thing.” 

Rey purses her lips. For some reason, she feels like he’s not telling her the whole truth. She tucks that feeling away for a later point. “Well, I’m Rey,” she pauses, not quite sure how to continue the conversation but not wanting it to end either. “Do you go to school here?” 

“Are you going to ask me other unoriginal questions, too, like what major I am?” he replies, sneering slightly. He pushes himself off of the bannister and turns to look at her, stepping closer into her bubble. When he does, his nostrils flare and his pupils dilate. He takes a quick step back. 

Rey’s blood boils at that. “I’m just trying to make conversation, asshole, sorry that I don’t want to just dive right into your opinions on politics or the secrets of the universe or whatever.” 

Thunder claps and it’s as though with that boom, the sky opens up and starts pouring, leaving the two soaked instantly. Rey groans as her entire body is soaked to the bone. She hopes that Kylo doesn’t notice her nipples through her now clinging top. 

It appears that she didn’t have to worry about that at all, because just as quickly as he came, Kylo disappears. Leaving Rey, alone in a storm and extremely confused. 

She enters the party once more, seeking out Rose. She finds her back in the kitchen, chatting with Kaydel. 

“REY! OH MY GOD. YOU ARE DRENCHED GIRL! Kay, do you have a towel or something for Rey?” Rose hops off the counter, mom mode activated. Kaydel also springs into action, heading upstairs to get some towels. 

“Can we just call an Uber? I just want to get back to the dorm,” Rey asks, teeth chattering slightly. She feels strange, and it’s not just because of her wet clothes. 

After Rose wraps her up in a towel and they go outside to wait for their Uber. Rey feels a rush of affection for Rose, a girl she just met and is sticking completely by her side. Rey thinks that they are going to be close friends. 

The front porch awning keeps them dry from the rain as the two sit on the porch swing. Rose is texting Finn, telling him that they are leaving a little early. Distracted, Rey looks down the street and she could’ve sworn she saw a figure lurking in the streetlight. She squints and leans forward trying to get a closer look. She swears it looks just like Kylo--and just like that the figure disappears faster than Rey could blink. Rey shakes her head. Clearly, she’s just imagining things. There’s no one on the street. 

Rose taps Rey on the shoulder, telling her that the Uber is there, and sure enough a black Toyota Corolla idled in front of the house. The girls crawl into the Uber, smiling politely at their driver. He stiffens slightly when he sees Rey, presumably because of her wet everything. His ginger hair is slicked back, making him look he’s always leering at anyone and everything. Something about him puts Rey on edge. She looks at Rose, who seems to be chatting amiably with the man as he shifts the car into drive and pulls out into the street.

Rey sinks back into her seat. When she left Jakku, all she wanted was to start over and have a new life. She has a strange feeling that her new life was going to be quite strange. 

☾

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things to note:  
> \--The college they are attending is very loosely based off of the University of Minnesota campus. I've only ever been on campus when visiting friends, and the place is huge and overwhelming. I can confirm that all the tunnels are creepy as hell, but necessary in the winter.  
> \--Pioneer Hall is a real dorm hall at the U of M and it's 1000% haunted. Everything Poe said about it being an old asylum is true. It's recently been remodeled, but I don't think that it kept the ghosts away. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! I am super hyped to continue writing this story  
> 


	2. Ivy covered walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Classes begin. Rey tries to go out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to chapter two
> 
> There is a trigger/content warning in the endnotes. I will try my best to update tags, too, but I'm sort of bad at describing things in tags. 
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy! :)

The first day of classes began with a flourish. Rey wakes early, thanks to Rose’s alarm for her 8am calculus course. She heads to the cafeteria with Finn, the two sleepy and yawning. Rey discovers that Finn makes the best coffee, which they have after breakfast in his dorm room. 

She gets ready for the day after that, dressing in a grey and white flannel and high waisted shorts. Rose promised her that this upcoming weekend they’d go shopping. Rey has enough money to buy a new wardrobe, twice over. When Rose saw Rey’s cash supply when they shopped for dorm supplies, her eyes widened. “Rey, you need to put that in the bank.” Rey shrugged, she honestly didn’t even think that way. She was just grateful that Rose didn’t ask her how she got her money. 

Rey’s first class of the day was  **Fre** nch, mostly because she needs four semesters of a language. She knows no one in French class. She was hoping that at least one of the many people that she met during welcome week would be there. 

But French isn’t the class she’s hyped for. That honor belongs to her Romantic Literature course. She somehow managed to test out of the early literature courses and was able to register for a 3000 level course. After much consideration, she chose the Romantics. She really just wanted to get graded for talking about Jane Austen.

She enters the brick building, quickly admiring the way that ivy creeps along the halls. She smiles, it looks every bit the stereotypical college image. She walks on the linoleum floors, enjoying the little click clack of her heeled boots. 

Rey enters the classroom, finds the first empty seat--somewhere in the middle where it’s safe. She pulls out her notebook and pencil and waits for class to start. 

Slowly, more students walk through the door. She tries not to stare at her classmates, they are all upperclassmen, she’s sure of it. She does take a peek at the people sitting next to her. The girl to her right is stunningly beautiful, like she’s an Instagram influencer or something. Rey’s immediately intimated by her. And to her left--

Oh.

_ Oh. _

It’s him. Kylo. From the party. 

Today he’s wearing dark jeans that Rey notices clings to his thighs immaculately. He’s wearing a leather jacket and a plain black t-shirt with the collar stretched just slightly so that Rey could see his collarbone. She stares at his thick neck and how it connects to his face and his jawline that could cut glass. His pouty pink lips are pulled up in a small smirk. Her gazes follows upwards until she got to his eyes--

Which were staring right at her. 

“Hello, Rey,” he croons. 

Rey swallows her breath, blushing slightly. “Hi, Kylo.” 

“Fancy seeing you here. This is an upper level English course, I hope you’re ready,” he says, leaning slightly forward on his forearms. 

Rey’s blood boils at the implication laced in his voice. “I’ll have you know that I clearly wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t qualified for it,” Rey retorts. She’s had barely two conversations with this man and he’s casually insulted her both times. 

Before Kylo could respond, the professor strolls into the classroom. “Good afternoon, class. I’m Doctor Amilyn Holdo. Most call me by last name.” 

Rey straightens when she sees the professor. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices that Kylo is shaking in his seat, as though he’s laughing at her.

Whatever. Asshole. 

Dr. Holdo hands out the syllabus and outlines the course expectations. “In this class, we will be paying particular attention to the Romantic poets. By the time you are finished with this class, you will be well versed in the works of Byron, Wordsworth, Keats, and the likes.” 

Unlike her French class, which solely focused on the syllabus, this class only touched on the basics of the class. Holdo immediately opens up the floor for discussion, asking for one word to best describe the Romantic era. 

Hands shot up the room, saying words like ‘individualistic’ or ‘emotional’ or ‘artistic.’ Rey felt sort of lost in the fray. Every time she thought of something to contribute, somebody else got to it first. 

“It’s not easy to summarize one particular era in simply one word. The Romantic era was a great deal of things--emotional and individualistic, yes. But it also had roots in nationalism and at times was profoundly prejudiced towards women and poor people and people of color. Plus, Lord Byron was a bit of a dick.” Kylo says in a sort of drawling voice as though he’s particularly annoyed with everyone. 

Some people laugh--although Rey isn’t quite sure if they are laughing at Kylo or at his comments. Either way, people start bursting out and talking about the pros and cons of Romanticism. 

Rey suddenly realizes that Kylo was sort of right earlier--she was not prepared for this. She’s prepared for the content, yes, but not people actually caring about the content as much as she does. 

She chances a glance back over at Kylo and notices that his fists and jaw are clenched as though he is holding something back. Rey glances back at her notebook and syllabus ignoring the way it feels like his eyes are glued on her. 

When class finishes, Rey rushes out of the classroom. She just wants to get back to her dorm and relax and pretend that Kylo doesn’t exist. She’s never felt so  _ affected  _ by someone’s mere presence. But she both felt anger and a strange sense of desire when she’s near him. 

She’s not sure if she likes that. 

But she needs to know him or at least  _ about  _ him. He’s like an itch that she needs to scratch. 

When she arrives back at her dorm, Rose is already there eating Pringles and working on schoolwork. Rose tells her that Paige will be stopping by because the two sisters are going out to eat together. Rey’s heart falls. She knows that it’s selfish but she was really hoping that Rose would spend time with her. 

Paige arrives, kind and sweet as always. She greets Rey while Rose is getting together. Paige slips off her shoes and hoists herself on Rose’s bed. One thing that Rey’s notice with the Tico sisters is that they consume each other’s space so completely. “How are classes going so far? Meet anyone neat?” she asks. 

This is Rey’s chance. “Um, actually, Paige, what do you know about Kylo Ren? He was at the party last week?” 

Paige’s eyes widen at the name Kylo Ren. “You’ve talked to him?”

Rey nods. 

“Oh.” Paige squints at Rey, which confuses Rey.

“Oh, what? What’s oh?” 

Paige gives her a look. It’s the kind of look that says oh-girl-you- _ really _ -don’t-know-what-you’re-about-to-get-into. “Okay so, Kylo and I started here at the same time. Like we were in the same orientation group and anything. And like all the girls in our group were obsessed with him. I swear some girls just see some nice hair and a pair of pretty eyes and go crazy. Anyway, he was like super strange. I mean he barely talked for one, but there was a moment where I was talking to him for one of those icebreaker games and I swore he looked like he wanted to eat me. But he nevers starts conversations or anything. And I never see him go anywhere or hang out with anyone. The fact that he went to that part was a surprise.” 

Rey processes the information Paige gives her. “If he doesn’t go out ever, why did he go to that party?”

“RIGHT? I have no idea. Kay said that she didn’t invite him either. She thinks that Dameron has something to do with it. Poe has a tendency to do things without asking,” Paige pauses. “Is that when you talked to him?”

Rey nods. “Yeah, and in my Romantic literature class.” 

“Well, be careful. I know that people have the idea that standoffish and aloof people all turn out to be Mr. Darcy in the end, but I have a bad feeling about that one. Maybe I’m wrong, but something is off. I can feel it in my tits.” 

“What’s this about tits?” Rose says, walking back into the door. 

Paige laughs and shares an affectionate look with her sister. Rey feels a pang of jealousy for their relationship. “Oh, nothing. Ready to go?” 

“I just need my keys.”

Rose and Paige leave after Rose grabs her keys. Rey sighs, feeling very restless. She knocks on Finn’s door, but he doesn’t answer, clearly not there. She organizes her notebooks and color codes her schedule. She messes around with her school email and moodle. 

Time ticks by slowly. 

Bored, Rey decides to use her bus pass to get herself to Target to get some food. She plots out her route on the transit website and grimaces when she realizes that it takes three bus transfers just to get to the Target that she and Rose went to. She grabs her backpack and keys and rushes out the door. 

She gets lost. The first part starts out fine. The 2 bus is late (a fellow passenger waiting at the stop said it’s  _ always  _ late), but she gets on it fine. She even gets off the bus fine, hopping off the bus and into her first real brush of Minneapolis outside of the campus. It’s honestly underwhelming. It’s mostly just cars and apartments and houses--just a residential part of the city. She finds her bus stop fine, but she’s on the wrong side of the street, so she misses the first one by seconds. So she sits at the stop for another thirty minutes for the next bus to come.

She pulls out her book from her backpack. She got it at the airport in Phoenix before her flight left. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. Rey figures it’s the perfect kinda spooky story for autumn on a college campus. She leans up against the bus stop sign and starts reading.

When she looks up again, she startles. Standing next to her is her Uber driver from the night of the party. His face still sneering at her, ginger hair slicked back. She looks back down at her book, trying not to stare. Is it weird that her Uber drive is taking the bus? Maybe he’s trying to be more environmentally conscious. She sneaks another glance at him and he’s staring at her.

And his eyes are red. 

Rey gasps and looks back down at her book, when she looks up he’s still looking at her but his eyes are green. Maybe it was just a trick of the light?

She could no longer focus on her book. The bus arrives shortly after that and Rey gets on, shaking slightly as she swipes her bus pass, and sits down on the first available seat. The Uber driver sits down on the seat two rows behind her. 

Rey has no idea why, but she has a weird feeling that he’s still watching her, following her. She’s shaking in her seat. She doesn’t even notice that she misses her stop until the bus arrives at its final destination--a transit station. Rey steps off the bus with the rest of the passengers and sure enough, the ginger man steps off, too. 

She walks into the little lobby area of the transit station, and plops down on the bench, clutching her backpack to her chest. 

She takes out her phone and opens up the transit website once more, this time to just get back to her dorm as soon as she possibly can. Target is a bust at this point, and she’ll just eat at the cafeteria. Maybe Finn will be back by then.

Feeling slightly better now that she’s got a plan in place, Rey waits for the next bus to come. She still has that uneasy feeling that so many girls have that she’s being watched. 

An old man sits next to her on the bench, making Rey try to make herself as small as possible. He’s got a bright yellow jacket on and a bald head. Curiously, he has a very strange scar lining his face. She tries not to stare at it. 

She’s uncomfortable and she really wants to go back to her room and forget all about this little adventure. The man next to her keeps moving closer and closer and she inwardly groans. Great. 

Thankfully, the bus arrives quickly and Rey’s the first one on the bus. She sets her backpack on the seat next to her, so that way the creepy old man doesn’t try to sit next to her. The ginger Uber driver is not on the bus, which makes Rey relax slightly. 

The trip back to campus is uneventful. There’s no missed buses. The creepy old man exits the bus a few stops before she does. 

Rose texts Rey asking her where she is. Rey responds, saying that she’s on the bus and she’ll tell Rose all about her crazy adventure once she gets back to the dorm. 

Once, she’s back at the dorm, she’s desperate for sustenance. Rose lets Rey have some of her leftovers from her dinner with Paige as Rey recounts her adventure. 

After Rey eats, she opens her backpack to grab her book. With her book, a piece of paper falls onto the floor. 

Rey snatches the paper off the floor, smoothing it open. 

In gruesome letters, all it says is:

“BE CAREFUL WHO YOU TALK TO.    
\--THE FIRST ORDER.”

Attached is a grainy photo of her at the welcome week party, standing on the deck with Kylo Ren. 

Rey drops the note and photo. 

Someone is watching her. 

☾

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content/Trigger warning: mentions of stalking by other characters that aren't Kylo. This is going to be a plot point now, so just be aware of that.  
> I try my best to update tags and to be as sensitive to triggers, but if I write something that makes you uncomfy or triggers you in anyway, please tell me, either on here or on my twitter. 
> 
> Things to note--  
> \--The bus routes that Rey takes are 100% real. Bus 2 is also annoyingly late. Same with Route 4, but that's a whole other story. And honestly, there's a Target WAY closer to where Rey is at, but it's an Express Target.  
> \--ninth house by Leigh Bardugo is a fantastic book and if you haven't read it, you should. There's some gory parts and some heavy content in it, but it's one of the best fantasy books I've read in awhile. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you think :)


	3. From a Certain Point of View

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing...the First Order and all the monsters that come with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy!  
> As you can see, I have a chapter count now! I have an actual proper outline for this fic and I'm SO HYPED.   
> This is a v indulgent fic for me lol 
> 
> Content warning: mentions of violence, blood, and gore in this chapter. As well as some uncomfortable dynamics between Kylo and Snoke that is emotionally manipulative and abusive. Just a heads up for that. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

Kylo Ren has been who he is for far longer than he can remember. He doesn’t forget his past life, but he understands the need for letting it die. And so he let it die, killing any trace of who he once was as soon as his mother was six feet under the ground. 

Besides, that’s what Snoke wanted. And Snoke always knows best. 

So Kylo Ren let Ben Solo die, an empty grave marks his demise some three hours north from where he is now. Nobody mourned for Ben Solo, not back then and certainly not now. 

Now, Kylo muses. What is it now? What is the present? Some say that it’s a gift, but he is not so sure. A nice wool sweater is a gift. A fountain pen is a gift. The present is simply not an actual present. 

Kylo storms into the loft where he resides; frustrated and annoyed at the current state of the world. It’s Wednesday, which meant that he just got back from his Romantic literature class. He’s grateful, to be sure, that Master Snoke allows him to attend classes, finally getting that college degree he so desperately yearns for. 

Romantic literature is supposed to be his easiest class, he’s already read most of the books and poetry assigned in the course syllabus. Dr. Holdo is also a perfectly amiable professor to have, so long as you communicate with her and complete the coursework promptly. None of that is the problem. 

The problem lays in the fearsome creature seated next to him. Rey. Her name is Rey he muses to himself. Rey--like light itself. A beautiful beacon of light that pulls him in. He’s a moth to her flame. 

Kylo Ren has lived for a very long time. Since before the founding of the state he presides in, his family immigrated--hot in the pursuit of something larger than themselves. He’s seen war and death and famine and disease. He’s been through it all. Nothing, however, equals the emotional toll that seeing Rey Johnson has on him.

She’s exquisite, from the moment he laid eyes on hers at that godforsaken party. Most of the time, when Poe forces Kylo out interacting with humans, he does so begrudgingly. Poe says that it’s important for the modern vampire to be socialized. Kylo reminds Poe that Kylo’s interaction with him is a secret and if Kylo’s master found out. 

Well. It wouldn’t just be Kylo’s head that would be on a spike. His master is brutal like that. 

But Rey. Meeting Poe Dameron and spending time with the Resistance is one thing. He knows a way to work around his time there. But Rey. Rey is different. He cannot risk her. 

Kylo thinks about her as he curls up into his favorite reading chair that he pushes to the window looking out toward the city. Her brunette hair and her hazel eyes. Eyes, Kylo muses, that a better poet than he could write sweet, tender words about. He thinks about her face, how her nose scrunches up when she’s irritated or annoyed. And she always seems to be irritated or annoyed with him. He can’t help it, it’s sort of fun to get under her skin, to watch her squirm and yell at him. She fascinates him with her intensity. 

She likes to wear all black and seems most at home in those behemoth boots of hers. Kylo Makes a mental note to ask Poe what those boots are called. He’d quite like a pair of his own. And she has one of those loopy nostril piercings that make her look tough. Kylo can tell, though, that it just a mask. A way to make her seem strong to the world. Kylo knows this because he is the same, and like recognizes like. 

His favorite part of Rey, however, is her freckles. They line her face across her nose and cheeks. Such a small detail for such a fearsome girl. He’d like to count them as though they are stars in his personal galaxy, tattooed onto her skin. 

He isn’t sure what exactly it is that magnetized him to her if it were truly just a moment of being blinded by beauty. Most women (and men, he supposes) do absolutely nothing for him. They are simply blips on his radar. For the longest time, he only saw them as targets for his next meal (or even just a delicious treat). He’s trying to get better, though. It’s hard sometimes when his master wants him to hunt. 

Rey’s blood appealed to him, yes, but there’s something more there, something more sacred than mere animalistic instincts and blood lust. 

He wants to hold her, to protect her, to be with her in every sense of the word. These feelings, they terrify Kylo. 

Kylo continues to gaze out the window, leather-bound notebook open in his lap. He’s written at length about the beautiful and terrifying girl. He watches as people outside bike towards the river, chat with their friends, or whatever else it is that humans do. 

“Feeling melancholy, Ren?” a sly, masculine voice drawls. Hux is back. Lovely. Soon the entirety of the First Order will return, learn their mission and do the bidding of their Master. 

Once Kylo was just like them, loyal to a fault to the First Order coven. Now, he mostly just wants a good book. Is this what aging feels like to the undead? 

Kylo elects to ignore Hux, which is, frankly, one of Kylo’s favorite activities. Next to Kylo, Hux was the highest in command in the First Order. He answered to Snoke just like Kylo did, but unlike Kylo, Hux was bloodthirsty. He desperately wants to prove his worth to the Supreme Leader of the coven. Kylo is just tired of it all. 

Hux, bully that he is, leans in towards Kylo and snatches Kylo’s journal away. “What do we have here?” Hux sneers, looking ever so much the image of a loathsome vampire. His ginger hair is slicked back, making his face seem longer and somehow paler. 

Kylo is used to this sort of behavior, which is why he never writes anything truly incriminating in this particular journal. Let Hux and the first of the First Order think what they will, they will never know the whole truth about Kylo and where he stands on this whole being dead thing. 

“Watching the agony of yet another helpless victim is the only emotion that I feel these days. Their screams of terror as I suck them dry, fill me with rage. I am giving them the honor of being a feast, what more could a human want from a creature like me?” Hux reads out. That entire entry is a lie. Something that he wrote to throw Hux and the Supreme Leader of the scent of Dameron’s ethical blood-drinking services. 

Kylo has become a very good double agent. 

Hux continues to read out from Kylo’s journal, pausing to make little comments about how dramatic Kylo is and to tease Kylo about how he likes to play with his food. All the while, Kylo tries to think of all the various different ways he can dismember Hux’s body. 

More and more bodies fill the loft, waiting for assembly of the First Order. Supreme Leader Snoke will arrive last, making as dramatic of an entrance as possible. Before, Kylo would join him. Lately, his Master has been less and less inclusive of Kylo. 

A tall woman with short icy blonde hair arrives. She’s wearing a form-fitting silver dress and stilettos so long, Kylo’s certain they also serve as a form of weapon. Phasma. An up and comer in the First Order, she’s moved through the ranks quickly and ruthlessly. 

She walks over to the two men, her red lips formed into a half-grin. It’s the sort of smile that means trouble. It’s the same smile she has right before she goes in for the kill. “Kylo Ren, just the man I want to see,” Phasma says, her cool voice piercing the air. “The Supreme Leader wants to speak with you.” 

So he’s here already. Fascinating. Phasma escorts Kylo to the study that doubles as the Supreme Leader’s room. Vampires don’t need to sleep. Kylo likes to anyway because sleeping leads to dreams. Snoke calls him weak for wanting to do something unnecessary in his immortal life. 

Phasma opens the door, leading Kylo into the study. On the walls, there were shelves lined with books and weapons and gruesome ornaments--souvenirs from each member of the First Order’s past life. The Supreme Leader likes to keep them to remind his subordinates of his complete dominance over them. Somewhere in this room is Kylo’s family ring, a Skywalker heirloom that his mother gave to him when he came of age. In the corner, Kylo spots an unconscious man tied up. Snoke’s dinner, he thinks with disgust. 

“Kylo Ren. Come in,” Snoke's voice rings out. If Kylo had a heartbeat, it would be beating erratically right now. “Please sit.” Kylo obeys, sitting ramrod straight on the overstuffed sofa. 

Snoke is wearing a dark gold gown, as is a tradition for him in the First Order. It reaches the top of his neck all the way to his feet. In some ways, Snoke looks like a sad old man this way. But Kylo sees the scar, grotesque and gnarly, and he knows that Snoke is no old man. 

“Tell me, child, how goes your escapades on campus?” Snoke asks. It’s a perfectly innocent question, which makes Kylo instantly distrust it. 

“Perfectly fine, sir. Nothing of interest to report. Dameron and the Resistance have been weakened, what with the incident in the tunnels. Everyone on campus has heard tall tales and urban legends, but they mostly think it’s a hoax.” The perfect lie is one that is partly layered in truth. The incident in the tunnels certainly frustrated Dameron, but both he and Kylo understood the long term success of the action. If people are scared to walk alone at night, then hopefully the First Order would have less success snatching up new victims. It only worked for a short period of time. 

“And the party?”

Shit. How did he hear about that?

“Sir?” 

“Hux has taken an additional role as an--oh what is the service called now? ah, -- as an Uber driver. He picked up two girls from a party on 4th street. Imagine his surprise when one of the girls spoke of a mysterious man named Kylo Ren.”

Kylo freezes. Hux had Rey in his car. They know about Rey. This is very bad. Kylo tries to keep a cool exterior as his brain goes a mile a minute trying to find ways to protect Rey. 

Snoke leans forward in his chair, his eyes red as ruby as he fills with bloodlust. “Now tell me, my young apprentice, who is the girl?” 

Kylo panics. “She’s no one. Nothing. Just a silly freshman girl who tried to flirt with me at a party.” 

Snoke stands up and walks toward the poor human in the corner. “Good. Keep it that way. I need all your focus to be with me, to the First Order. Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for me to feast.” 

Standing up, Kylo walks as calmly as he can out the door. As he slams it shut, he can hear the whimpering and screaming coming from the human. Kylo pretends that he enjoys playing with his food, but Snoke truly enjoys it. 

Kylo continues to walk, ignoring the call of the rest of the coven asking him to join them in their merriment. He walks out the door and into the night. He needs to get as far away from the First Order as he can right. 

As he walks down the banks of the mighty Mississippi, towards the Stone Arch Bridge, he hears a boom of laughter. He looks up and spots Rey with her friends, a short woman of Southeast Asian descent, and a dark-haired young man whose face is crinkled in laughter. 

He doesn’t bother the friend group. He doesn’t want to disturb Rey in any way. Kylo has to be more careful now. Eyes seemed to be everywhere. Maybe one day he’ll be free from this turmoil. He hopes that his freedom is linked to her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! Please give this some kudos or love or comments or whatever. It's the biggest Seratonin boost that I get these days and all your lovely comments genuinely fill me with joy :) 
> 
> next update will be in the next few days :)


	4. An Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Classes are in full swing and Rey is trying to deal with the unsettling business of the First Order while trying to balance schoolwork as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My computer broke, so I’ve been using my iPad to write. I tried editing as best as I could, but forgive me if there’s some errors. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!!

Rey pours over her French vocabulary flashcards in the Student Union. They’re perched precariously between her second cold brew coffee of the day and her water bottle. Sitting next to her is Rose who looks like she’s on the verge of a breakdown because of her Calculus homework. Finn left a few minutes before heading to his political science lecture.

Classes are in full swing at the university, and Rey is really beginning to feel it.   
If she isn’t reading for her Romantic literature class, then she’s working on her French homework. If she isn’t working on her French homework, then she’s reading ethnographies for her anthropology course. If she’s not reading ethnographies, she’s doing statistics homework. Round and round she goes in a ceaseless cycle of work. On the days where she’s not doing schoolwork, she’s usually with Rose at the writing club they joined or getting coffee with Finn. Rey has never been busier in her entire life--overwhelmed with how much stuff there is to do at college. Most days, she just wants a nap. 

She’s never alone, either. Ever since she received the ominous message from the “First Order,” she always has someone with her. Rose and Finn demanded that she report it to the Dean of Students, but something deep inside her told her that was not a wise decision. Neither one of them truly understood her reasoning. Rey couldn’t explain it either. Eventually, they compromised on telling Poe. The trio knocked on Poe’s door. He opened it, grinning widely when spotting Finn, the grin only diminishing slightly when he spotted an angry Rose and a terrified Rey. Rey showed Poe the note with the picture. He frowned as he examined it.   
  
“Have you had any association with the First Order before, Rey?” Poe asked, his dark brown eye staring earnestly into hers. The way he looked at her, so thoughtful and analytical made Rey think that he knew more than he let on. She shook her head. “No, I’ve never even heard of the First Order until today. What do they want with me? What does Kylo have to do with it?” Poe continued to look her in the eyes, seeking out an answer that was not quite there. “Stay away from Kylo Ren, Rey. He’s bad news.” Rey shivered at the intensity of Poe’s voice. He seemed genuinely concerned for her. She glanced at Finn and Rose--both seemed equally as frightened by what was happening. 

  
Poe came up with a plan so that Rey was never alone on campus. She always had someone with her to escort her to class. Whether it be Poe or her friends or someone that Poe recruited to help them, Rey always had company. And she gave Poe her word that wouldn’t interact with Kylo. Some days are harder than others on that front, especially in Romantic literature. Kylo has such fascinating opinions on poetry that Rey is just dying to pick his brain about.

  
How can someone be so standoffish yet earnest? How can someone so passionate about meter and rhythm in poems be dangerous to her? 

  
Kylo is a force of nature, a sweeping hurricane that Rey is desperate to get swept away in. Everyone tells her not to, Poe keeps a steady eye on her, but she fears that she can’t stay away. 

  
Rose shakes Rey away from her thoughts with a quick pat on the shoulder. “Hey, I gotta get to class. Paige is on her way but she’s gonna be a bit late. Do you think you’ll be alright here?” Rey glances at Rose, biting her bottom lip. Her hair is messy and there are slight bags under her eyes. A pang of guilt goes through Rey. This is her fault. She’s causing Rose and everyone else undue stress because of her situation.  
  
“Tell Paige that she can just head back to her place. I think I’ll be fine getting back to our dorm,” Rey tells Rose. 

  
Rose’s brows scrunch together in concern. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel unsafe…” Rose trails off. 

  
Rey stands to face Rose, or, more accurately, tower over Rose. Sometimes Rey forgets that she’s a good half foot taller than her friend. Rose’s personality more than makes up for her short height. “The dorm isn’t that far away. I will be okay. I want to finish up my work here for a bit and then I’ll be back in our room before dinner, ‘Kay?” 

  
“Just call if you need one of us. Please, Rey.” 

  
At this point, Rey starts to get annoyed. What part of ‘I’ll be fine’ does Rose not get? Rey’s trying to do them all a favor. Midterms are already in a few weeks. But still, it’s sweet that her friends are so protective of her. Even relative strangers like Zorii and Jannah and Kaydel are doing what they can to ensure Rey’s safety. 

  
“I promise, Rose,” Rey replies, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. Instead, it just makes her sound anxious and unsure.

  
Rose’s eyes narrow. “Oookayy,” she says as she throws her backpack over her shoulder and walks away from their table. Rey doesn’t know how Rose does it, she knows that the backpack weighs like 40 pounds. 

  
Finally having some peace and quiet, Rey pops on a pair of headphones and puts on some ambient noises to help her focus on her French homework. Today’s ambient noises are thunderstorms and crackling fireplaces. Cozy. Rey fiddles with her nose piercing, a nervous habit, as she works on conjugating verbs. After about a half-hour, Rey gives up, deciding that she hates the entire French language and will just never even bother going to Paris as she dreamed. She stuffs her French binder and flashcards into her backpack, muttering to herself ways to curse her French professor. 

  
Rey runs out of the student union, taking the stairs down to the street two at a time. She’s still focused on her stupid French homework and trying to get the zipper of her backpack unstuck that she doesn't even notice the person she runs into, tripping slightly over her own feet. 

  
“Fuck,” she cries out, flustered as her flashcards come tumbling out of her backpack. She crouches down to pick up her flashcards and surely this is a sign that she should never bother with French ever again. 

  
A pair of shiny black shoes appear in her eye-line as she picks up her flashcards. Perfectly pressed black slacks match the pointed shoes as Rey’s gaze migrates upwards to the owner of these shoes. “Allow me to assist,” a rough voice says. 

  
Fear rattles through Rey’s body. Every instinct that she has is telling her to run far away from this man. He screams DANGEROUS MAN. She quickly picks up the rest of the cards, pretending that she didn’t hear his offer of assistance. She stands up quickly, wiping the dirt off her hands on her black jeggings. 

  
When she stands, she gets a full look at the man she ran into. She stifles a gasp. It’s the man at the bus stop. The same bald man from the bus stop with the scar bisecting his face. His pale eyes gaze into hers, almost predatory. Everything about this man screams evil. 

  
“Are you alright, Ms—?” He asks, as though they are having a perfectly pleasant and normal moment. Rey supposes, in a way, they are. He hasn’t said or done anything to warrant her fear. She tries to shake it away.

  
“Johnson,” Rey responds softly. “Rey Johnson. I’m alright.”

  
The man flashes a quick grin like a cat who caught the canary, but it’s gone so quickly that Rey is sure that she imagined it. “Ms. Johnson. One must be careful about these steps. They can be quite dangerous. I’ve seen many students take a tumble down these stairs. Most upsetting.” 

  
Rey smiles politely, hoping to end this conversation quickly. “Yeah, thanks. I’ll be more careful next time. Just a little distracted.” 

  
“The youth these days,” he smiles as he talks, “so distracted all the time. Always on their phone. Such a pity.”

  
Rey groans inwardly. Of course, he’s another old man who rags on the youth of America. She needs to end the conversation fast before it turns into one of those ‘back in my day’ sort of conversations. 

  
The man seems to notice Rey’s unease. “Of course, I forget myself. You must forgive an old man for his poor manners, I didn’t even introduce myself. My name is Andrew Snoke.” He stretches out his hand for a handshake. Once again, a flair of unease courses through Rey. She should not shake this man’s hand. She does anyway. 

  
Especially because Andrew Snoke is the Dean of Students. He’s very much in charge of her living situation on campus. 

  
“Now, Ms. Johnson, tell me, how do you like the campus thus far?” He asks as he takes away his hand and places it in his pocket with all the air of casualness. 

  
Rey pauses, trying to come up with the right words. She knows deep down that this is her chance to talk to someone—someone with authority at least—about the First Order situation. But she still can’t get over that gut instinct to keep quiet. “It’s, um, very big. Unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” she replies diplomatically. It’s an accurate assessment at least. 

  
He smiles, as though he’s heard some form of that statement before. Which, he probably has. “Very true. Very true. And may I ask, are you from the area?”  
Rey shakes her head quickly. “Um, no. I’m from Arizona actually.” 

  
“Arizona? What a change in climate for you! I hope you're ready for winter. What made you decide to come to Minnesota?” He asks, clearly delighted by this turn in the conversation. 

  
Rey sighs. She hates this question. “I, um, received a random pamphlet in the mail for the school. And I decided to apply, and when I received my acceptance letter, I received some sort of scholarship to cover my expenses. Can’t say no to that.”   
  
The Dean’s smile widens at Rey’s response. “No, you can’t say no to that at all. College is so expensive these days, one must take what they can get in terms of Financial Aid,” he muses. “Have you decided what you are going to study?” 

  
“Um, no, not yet. I have a few interests, especially—“

  
“Rey, just the person I wanted to see,” a deep, growling voice interrupts. Rey shivers, knowing instantly whose voice that is.

  
She turns to her left and sees Kylo Ren and his long, long legs walking down the steps towards her and the Dean. “And Dean Snoke,” Kylo exclaims.

  
“Mr. Ren,” Snoke says, shortly. Rey must be imagining the hint of annoyance in Snoke’s voice. “Well, Ms. Johnson, I’ll leave you to discuss whatever Mr. Ren wants to tell you. I hope to see you again soon. Stop by my office at any time. Mr. Ren, don’t forget your appointment tomorrow. Are we clear?” Snoke’s spoke clearly and sternly. This is a man who is used to getting what he wants. And quickly.

  
Kylo nods, clearly annoyed by the sternness in the Dean’s voice but still subdued. “Have a good evening, sir,” he says, voice tinged with a hint of rage. Something is going on between the two men, Rey realizes. 

  
Rey watches as the Dean walks away from the two students, leaving a Rey stuck with Kylo.

“What do you want?” She asks, blunt. 

  
On his part, Kylo seems caught off guard by her blunt demeanor. “What?” He asks. 

  
“You said that you wanted to see me,” she reminds him, crossing her arms over her chest. She picks up on his glancing at her chest and then quickly away. Boys. She almost rolls her eyes at his incredulity. 

  
“Oh! Right! Yes! Do you happen to know the poetry reading for tomorrow?” He asks, his wide fingers combing through his dark brown hair. Rey tried not to stare at the movement. 

  
“It’s on the syllabus,” she replies flatly.

  
Kylo pauses. “I lost mine,” he responds quickly. 

  
“The syllabus is on Moodle.”

  
“I detest technology.” 

  
Rey rolls her eyes at that. “Oh my god, congrats on somehow being more pretentious than I realized. Just check Moodle like a normal person and get out of my way, okay?” She’s fuming now. Something about this man makes her quick to anger. 

  
Kylo narrows his eyes as he takes in her anger. “You’re mad at me,” he states. Rey looks at him as though this is the most obvious thing he could say.

  
“You are the most infuriating man that I have ever met. You’re rude. You always act like you are better than everyone else. Like all of us are somehow beneath you or something,” Rey rants, venting out her frustration. She sees Kylo turn as though he’s going to walk away. She grabs his wrist, pulling him toward her. She’s struck with how cold he is, strange. “I don’t think you’ve said one nice thing to me, so why wouldn’t I be mad at you? Why wouldn’t I want to avoid you and not want to talk to you? You’re a monster!” she seethes, lips curled in and nose scrunched in fury. 

  
Kylo grips her wrists in his one hand, firm and commanding. He steps closer, towering over her. Rey stares up at him, almost hypnotized by the intensity of his eyes and the fullness of his lips. “Yes, I am,” he whispers. 

  
Rey gasps, taking a full step back from him, distancing herself from him. Of all the things that she was expecting from him, an agreement was not one of them. She was gearing up for a full-on fight. 

  
He lets go of her wrists, as though remembering who she was and where they were. He stands ramrod straight and starts speaking, earnestly, “Rey, please forgive me. I’m not very good with people. Frankly, I prefer the company of literature to the company of others. I have a feeling you are the same way?” He asks the last part and Rey nods in agreement.

“Right. When I saw you that night at the party instinct took over and I thought to myself, ‘I need to know her.’ I do not know how to act in social situations and I’m afraid I behaved poorly.”

  
“Like an asshole, yeah,” Rey interrupts. 

  
“Right,” Kylo nods. “Please accept my apology and my invitation to get drinks soon.” 

  
Rey stares at him in shock. Was he being for real? He wants to get drinks with her. After all of this? Rey knows what Finn and Rose would say. They would remind her of the message she received from the First Order, warning her to stay away from him. 

  
She also knows that she can’t stay away. Not truly. She tried all week and she hated it. She needs to know him. She feels like in a way, she already does. Against her better judgment, Rey nods at his question. “Yeah, we can get drinks. Begin again, I suppose.” 

  
Kylo nods, smiling softly. Rey thinks that he’s quite beautiful when he smiles. “I’ll pick you up Friday at seven in front of your dorm. Pioneer?”

  
She nods, too nervous to speak suddenly. “Great, I’ll see you then.” And then he starts walking away.   
  
Before he leaves, he pauses and turns around. “And Rey?” She looks up. “Wear black.” And then he walks away from her.   
Rey Johnson has her first date. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, but the next chapter will be a lot longer. In fact, a lot of the chapters are probably going to be longer from here on out as the plot thickens,


	5. The Room Where It Happens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey & Kylo have their first date. Secrets revealed, secrets concealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi  
> I am still writing on my iPad, which is a v stressful experience for me, so just bear with me and any errors.  
> I’m trying my best with editing, but I know I will miss something. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

“Where exactly are you going tonight?” Rose asks from her bed. She’s laying on her belly, feet nearly touching the ceiling from the loft. Rey can see her physics textbook propped up against the wall. Rey knows that really Rose is just binge-watching The Vampire Diaries on her laptop. 

  
Rey adjusts the collar of her dress, smoothing out the off the shoulder sleeves. It’s black—like Kylo suggested, her mind supplies—and has a mesh portion exposing her collarbones and shoulders. The actual sleeves are ruffled and off the shoulder. The skirt of the dress lands on her mid-thigh and fans out, leaving her legs exposed to the elements. Rey debates whether to put on some black stockings. 

  
“I’m going out with a friend from my Romantic literature class,” Rey responds. It’s not technically a lie. Kylo is in her a Romantic literature class, at least. Friend, however, might be too polite of a word to describe her and Kylo’s relationship. If they even have a relationship.

  
Rose gives her a look, “Uh-huh, a ‘friend,’” she sasses. 

  
Rey blushes. She sometimes forgets that Rose is a shockingly perceptive friend. Rose smirks at Rey’s reaction, pleased that Rey seems flustered. She slams her laptop shut and hops down from her bed, making her way towards Rey. “Well, good luck with your friendly night out. Send me a pin with your location and if I don’t hear from you by 11:30, I’m going to send Poe and Finn to look for you. Don’t think I won’t.” 

  
In the little over a month that Rey has gotten to know Rose, Rey knows that any threat given by Rose is a serious one. Rose has a protective nature that extends across all her friends. “And you won’t do it yourself?” Rey teases. 

  
Rose laughs as she grabs Rey’s makeup bag off the dresser. She rifles through it until coming across a dark red liquid lipstick and starts applying it on Rey. Pleased with her application, Rose sets the makeup back down. “No, I’m going to my sister’s house to meet with her roommate. They’re an engineering student, so I’m hoping they can help me with some of my homework,” she pauses, inspecting Rey’s attire. “Wear the sheer black tights. I think it’ll go well with the see-through-ness of the dress.” 

  
Rey quickly obeys Rose’s suggestion. If anyone could make Rey feel presentable, it’s Rose. After the tights are on, Rose simply points on Rey’s classic black Doc Martens, sighing as she says, “It’s your brand at this point, Rey.” A true enough statement, Rey supposes. 

  
Rey stares at the full-length mirror on their door, admiring herself. Her freckle dot skin sharply contrasts the black outfit. Her hair is in a half-up, half-down arrangement, not too formal but not what she usually wears either. Rey grins, feeling powerful and beautiful. Rose stands next to her, matching Rey’s grin. 

  
“Knock ‘em dead, tiger,” Rose shouts as Rey opens their dorm door and heads out to meet Kylo. 

  
Anxious energy ripples through her as she walks down the stairs to the front doors of the dorm. What will happen? Will Kylo be his typical douchey self? What about the First Order? Rey’s just about to turn around and run away and pretend that this situation never happened. 

  
And then she sees him—Kylo—standing outside the doors of the Pioneer Hall. His hair disheveled, lightly tossed from the wind; black jeans hugging his thighs. Rey stares as she takes in every inch of him, clad in black, looking like something out of her fantasies. She can’t run now. Not when every cell of her body is pulling her towards him.

  
Rey walks towards him, as though caught in his tractor-beam of existence. She stands next to him, face to face, tilting her chin upward slightly to fully take in his face. 

  
And what a face. Every time she gazes at him, it’s like experiencing art for the first time. The mismatched facial features only enhance his attractiveness—large nose, full lips, stern eyebrows, and moles and freckles painting his face. He’s a mess of contradicting constellations and Rey just wants to study him. “Hi,” she says shyly. 

  
Kylo smiles, closed mouth but genuine. “Hi,” he replies. He extends his arm outward for her to take his hand. Rey gently places her hand in his, startled by the coldness of his hands. She feels him stiffen slightly as they walk hand-in-hand to his car, a silver Volvo. Rey didn’t realize people still drove Volvos. 

  
Ever the gentleman Kylo opens the door for her. She sits, fidgeting with her hands, as Kylo walks around to the driver’s side to let himself in. He turns the engine on and pulls out into the traffic. The car is quiet save for the soft rumble of the engine and the radio playing. Rey recognizes the station and grins. “You listen to 89.3 The Current? I would’ve pegged you as a morose classical kinda guy,” she exclaims. 

  
Kylo chuckles, “I will admit that I do enjoy the classical station quite a bit, but The Current plays such a wide array of music, I never know what to expect. And the DJs that they have are quite entertaining and knowledgeable as well.”  
“Right? I had no idea that Minneapolis’ music scene was so vast, but there is so much music being created here. It astounds me,” Rey replies wistfully. 

  
“Well, this is the home state of Prince. Do you play any sort of music?” he asks her. He takes a right turn, heading across the Mississippi into downtown. 

  
Rey shakes her head. “No. I’ve always wanted to learn how to play an instrument, any instrument, but never had any way to do so. When I was little, I was always moving from home to home every couple of years, never enough to actually settle roots to take any sort of classes or make friends really.” Rey trails off, suddenly overwhelmed at the sad turn she took this conversation. 

  
Kylo, for his part, does not seem bothered by the change of tone in the conversation. “Move home to home?” he prompts.  
  
“Yeah, um, I was in foster care since I was about six I think? I was deemed a ‘problem’ child too because I would bite kids who were mean to me, so I moved around a lot. The longest stay was when I was 15 until about 18? But now I’m here.”

  
Kylo parks the car. “And now you’re here. And now we’re here, too.” Rey looks around. It looks like they are just parked in the business part of downtown Minneapolis.

  
Before she opens her mouth to speak, Kylo shushes her. “Trust me. This will be worth it.” His whiskey-brown eyes meet hazel eyes, leaving Rey entranced. She nods, speechless so long as he keeps looking at her. 

  
He breaks the stare and Rey immediately comes back into reality. How odd. He once again opens the door for her and she steps onto the sidewalk. She glances upward, taking in the skyscraper of their destination. “Where are we?” she asks. 

  
“Technically, we are at Foshay Tower, which is a hotel,” Kylo replies. Rey freezes. She didn’t think they were going to a hotel. The various implications of a hotel rise and Rey’s about to utilize her sos with Rose and company. Kylo seems to notice her hackles rising and tries to placate her. “We aren’t going into the hotel. Technically, we are going behind the hotel.”  
This does not make Rey feel better.

  
But, like an idiot, Rey decides to follow Kylo as he leads her around the corner and through an alleyway meant for deliveries. A line cook is sitting outside on a stoop smoking a cigarette. Rey smiles politely at the stranger, as though to say please rescue me from my potential murder. They reach an unmarked door and that’s where they stop. Kylo knocks on the door three times before it opens slightly. Kylo mumbles something in Latin to the woman and suddenly they are granted entry. 

  
A speakeasy! How delightful! “You could’ve told me that we are going to a speakeasy, instead of leaving me in anxious suspense!” Rey admonishes. 

  
Kylo does not seem sorry at all. “It wouldn’t show up on any of your maps or anything. Besides, surprises are fun,” he says the last part with a surprising about of anger. 

  
They walk down a flight of stairs, and Rey takes in her surroundings. It’s surprisingly well-lit. Rey always thought that speakeasies would be dimly lit shoddy holes in the wall. And while this place was small and cramped, it was also bright and full of lush, vibrant colors. Curtains of violet and royal blue separate tables, giving them an air of privacy. The walls were adorned with a tasteful paisley pattern. Rey imagines that this is what a French salon would look like.

  
The bar is tucked away in a corner, with two bartenders who seem to be running the show. The first bartender is a short, black woman with glasses that take up half her face. A bright orange hair wrap stays neatly on her head. The second bartender is almost the exact inverse of the jovial woman. Standing about three heads taller than her, the second bartender has thick brown hair that keeps tied up in a tasteful bun on his head. The contrast between the two of them delights Rey, especially as she notices how comfortable the two seem in working together. 

  
The short bartender catches eyes with the two of them. Her eyes widen under her thick glasses as she spots Kylo and then they narrow. “KYLO REN!” she shouts. Rey notices that Kylo visibly cringes at the woman addressing him. 

  
He recovers. “Hey, Maz,” he responds, trying to present a solid front. Rey looks around the establishment. Everyone seems to be paying attention to the two of them. 

  
“You have a lot of nerve showing up here,” the bartender—Maz—says.

  
“You can’t turn me away, Maz, you know the Code.” The Code? Rey looks at Kylo in confusion, but he seems to ignore her. 

  
“Bah!” Maz cries out. For such a short person, she has a set of powerful lungs on her. “I will honor the silly Code, but when you are in my establishment, I refuse to call you Kylo Ren.” The second bartender nods in agreement. 

  
Rey narrows her eyebrows in confusion. What else would this Maz woman call Kylo? “That name is dead to me, Maz, and you know why,” Kylo replies, voice darkening making Rey shiver. His temper is changing, growing more flustered by this woman. 

  
“Does she know?” Maz asks, nodding her head in Rey’s direction. Rey startles, surprised to be included in this conversation.   
“No, she does not,” a new voice from the back of the establishment supplies. Rey turns around and finds Poe standing up from his booth and walking over to the little scene playing out. 

  
How does Poe know about this place? Rey suddenly feels very overwhelmed. “Poe!” she cries out. 

  
“Rey,” he replies, short and pointed, as though in a warning. She knows that she’s probably going to get a lecture from him. But she also now knows that Poe is hiding something from her. Something important. 

  
“Dameron,” Kylo spits out, turning away from the bar to face Poe. The two glared at each other in clear animosity. Kylo uses his full height to his advantage, forcing Poe to lift his chin ever so slightly to continue their staring contest. 

  
“Enough, boys. You will scare my guests away,” Maz scolds. “Solo, you are welcome here so long as you remain civil.” Kylo nods, still staring down Poe. “Now, who’s the girl?” 

  
Rey rolls her eyes. “The girl is Rey and she can speak for herself.” 

  
Maz grins, apparently overjoyed at Rey’s sass. “Come closer, child, I may look young but I am very old.” Rey obeys the request from the strange woman. Rey walks up to the bar and sits down on one of the stools. She glances back towards Kylo and Poe, who seem to be in the midst of a very heated conversation. “Ignore them. They are but boys way over their heads.” Rey turns to face the woman. She’s truly one of the most striking women Rey has ever met. Maz leans in, almost climbing on top of the bartender to look at Rey. “Who are you?” Maz asks, her voice soft. 

  
“I already told you my name is Rey—“

  
“I don’t want your name. I want to know who you are.” 

  
“I’m nobody. I come from nowhere,” Rey hastily murmurs.

  
“I don’t believe that for one second. You are someone if he suddenly starts darkening my doorstep again. That means something, whether you realize it or not. Do you have any idea what you just got yourself into, dear?” Maz looks at Rey and suddenly a spike of fear runs through Rey’s spine. 

  
“I see you when I look into your eyes. And I see a girl running away from her past, always looking behind her. Never letting go. And I see a girl who is tired of running. Your fate is now intertwined with his, dear. But the rest of your choices are up to you. Choose wisely.” Maz shudders as though leaving some sort of trance. Her eyes, which were once almost abnormally large, seem to shrink back to normal eye size. “Now what can I get for you to drink?” 

  
Terrified and confused, the last thing on Rey’s mind is alcohol. She asks for a Shirley Temple. Drink in hand, she turns towards Kylo, who finally seems to notice her. He abruptly ends his conversation (or argument? Rey isn’t sure) with Poe and walks toward the bar to get his drink. Maz hands him a dark bottle of something. 

  
“Come, Rey, let’s sit down. I promise to salvage this day as much as I can,” Kylo utters. He leads her to a corner booth. The two sit across from each other in silence. Rey stares at the beads of perspiration sliding down her cup. For whatever reason, Kylo’s bottle does not do the same thing. “What are you drinking?” she blurts out, after a near painful amount of silence. 

  
“Trust me, Rey, you don’t want to know,” Kylo replies, brokering no argument. 

  
They sit there in silence once more, taking sips of their respective drinks every once in a while. Tension fills the air as neither one speaks. Finally, Rey sighs. “I have questions,” she starts. 

  
“I would be naive to think you don’t,” Kylo retorts. He sighs, running a hand over his face. “How about this: a question for a question. That way we are equal.”

  
Rey nods, finding herself quite pleased with that arrangement. “I’ll start.” Kylo nods. “Maz called you Solo. What does that mean?” 

  
Kylo chuckles dryly. “Technically, nothing. It’s my surname that I have forsaken long ago.”  
Rey opens her mouth to ask a follow-up question, but Kylo puts a hand up to stop her. “Nope. My turn. What is your earliest childhood memory?”

  
Rey startles at the question, surprised. She thinks for a moment. “It’s not a happy one,” she says. Kylo looks at her, encouraging her to continue. “My first memory is of my mother. She kissed me on the head before leaving, I don’t know where. A man, I don’t know who pulls at my arm, dragging me to join him. I never saw her again, my mother.” She looks at her hands as she finishes, desperate to focus on anything else other than the grim memories of her past. She glances at Kylo, who looks at her with such sympathy, it makes Rey a little nauseous.

  
Maz’s words continue to turn in her head. 

  
She pushes them aside, at least for a little while longer. “What is your real name, your birth name?” 

  
Kylo smiles. It’s not a true smile but rather one that he puts on when he knows that he’s defeated. “My birth name is Benjamin Organa-Solo, but as I’ve said, I haven’t gone by that name is a long, long time.” 

  
Rey decides that she does not like this game. She wants to have follow up questions. Kylo—Ben?—quirks his eyebrow as he can see her try to hold her tongue from asking more questions. 

  
“I overheard you tell the Dean that you came here on scholarship,” Kylo starts. Rey stiffens. Kylo’s eyebrows perk up at the reaction. “There’s no scholarship like that at this school. You lied to the Dean of Students. Why?” 

  
Rey sighs, trying to gauge where this line of questioning is going. “Technically, I didn’t lie. The money came to me in the form of a scholarship. The letter said the money was mine if I went to Minneapolis, so I accepted it.” 

  
Kylo’s impassive as she speaks. Dread fills Rey’s stomach. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  
Rey frowns. “Why I lied to the Dean?” Kylo nods. “I—,” Rey pauses, trying to form the right words. “I got lost one day, back at the beginning of the semester, and two men started to follow me. Or at least that’s what it felt like. One of them was the Dean, or at least is the Dean’s doppelgänger. When I got back to my dorm, there was a note—“ Rey cuts herself off. 

  
“A note?” Kylo hints. 

  
“It’s my turn to ask a question.” Kylo, thankfully, acquiesces. “What do you know about the First Order?” 

  
Kylo stiffens, hands clenched around his bottle. “How do you know that name?” he asks darkly.

  
“The note. There was a note left in my backpack. It was, um, a picture of you and me from that party in August. And a threat. ‘Be careful who you talk to,’ it said. That’s why I’ve been avoiding you. And why Poe is mad. Probably. He’s mad at me. He told me to stay away from you.”

  
Kylo leans across the table, entering Rey’s space. From this angle, he looks predatory. Rey’s senses scream at her that she’s in danger and she should run. But another part—a larger part—tells her to lean in, magnetized by the gold flecks in his eyes. “Why didn’t you listen?” He asks, each word coming out his lips with sinister mirth. Rey wonders what his lips feel like. They look soft. 

  
“I have a difficult time staying away from you. I need to know you. It’s hard to explain, it’s like a compulsion almost. A driving desire that I just can’t keep away,” Rey’s voice drops down into a whisper as she makes her confession. 

  
Kylo freezes at the world compulsion. “Rey—“ he starts.

  
“Hang on. You didn’t answer my question! And you asked me two questions!” Rey realizes, nose scrunching in frustration. 

  
“Fair enough. The First Order is an organization that dabbles in...dark things. It’s no good, Rey. If the First Order is involved, then you gotta be careful.” He’s evading her, hiding something. Rey can tell. 

  
“I get one more question,” Rey pauses. Kylo nods and she continues, “Are you a part of the First Order?”

  
Kylo is quiet. He quickly finishes off his bottle, grimacing as he does. Rey’s curious as to what’s inside that bottle, because she’s pretty confident it’s not beer. He makes a motion towards the bar, indicating he’d like another bottle. They sit there, Kylo ignoring her question, and Rey desperate for answers.   
  
“I’ll ask one more time: are you a part of the First Order?”

A bottle slams down on the table. “Yes. He is.” Rey looks up and sees Poe. He’s glaring at Kylo. His dark curls pushed back slightly as though he’s been messing around with it in frustration. Poe turns to Rey and points at her. “And you need to go, c’mon.” Poe moves to grab Rey. Rey resists, swiping Poe’s hand away. 

  
“No. I want to stay,” Rey replies stubbornly. Both Poe and Kylo look at her in surprise. 

  
“Rey,” Kylo sighs, “Go with Poe. He’ll never leave you alone if you don’t.” He looks so defeated like he knows that this was going to be the result of all of this. Like he knows that he’ll never truly be able to take a girl out and just have a nice time.   
Rey gets up and turns towards Poe, furious. Before she leaves, she writes her phone number down and hands it to Kylo. She leans in, taking in his clean smell, “Call me. Please,” she whispers into his ear. 

  
Poe sighs, exasperated. And Rey turns to follow Poe out the door. She chances one last glance at Kylo, looking solemn as he nurses another one of his drinks. 

  
When she and Poe get outside of the speakeasy, that’s when Poe begins to lecture her. “What the hell were you thinking, Rey? I told you, I TOLD YOU, to stay away from Kylo. He’s bad news, Rey. And every second that you spend near him, you are putting yourself and everyone you care about in danger. Do you understand me? This is serious shit.” 

  
“What’s serious shit, Poe? What won’t you tell me? You know so much BUT YOU WON’T TELL ME WHAT’S GOING ON! Why am I in danger?” Rey shouts. She opens the door of Poe’s cherry red car—bold, obnoxious, just like Poe—and slams it shut.   
“I can’t tell you that,” Poe responds. Rey scoffs at that. “You just need to trust me. Please.” 

  
“Everyone keeps acting like they know more about who I am or what I do than I do. And I am tired of it. I’m not a child, so stop treating me like one. What is going on?” Rey tries to tamp down on her rage, but it’s overflowing. Today has been too much for her.  
  
“I can’t tell you,” Poe responds, sounding apologetic. 

  
“Fine,” Rey retorts. And then she lets the car sit in silence for the rest of the drive. Poe takes a different route back to campus than the one Kylo took her on. He turns onto the interstate and Rey stares at the lights of the cars as they go by. She checks her phone every once and a while, checking to see if Kylo will call. So far, nothing. 

  
They pull onto campus not too long after. Rey gets out of Poe’s car and walks to the dorm in silence. She can tell that it’s making Poe crazy, but she doesn’t want to talk to him. She was hoping that Kylo would drive her home. Maybe kiss her goodnight. How naive, she thinks to herself. 

  
She gets to her dorm and pulls her covers over herself. For the first time since she arrived in Minnesota, Rey lets herself cry. Truly cry, overwhelmed, and tired from everything that she’s had to go through.   
  
In the end, she thinks to herself, I’ll always be alone. 

Her phone rings, the vibrations startling her out of her pity party. Caller ID does not indicate who it is. Tentatively, she swipes to answer. “Hello?” she whispers, sniffling slightly. 

  
A deep voice breathes, “Rey?”

  
“Kylo?”

  
He continues, “Rey, I’m so sorry. Please let me make it up to you.”

  
Rey sighs, sitting up in her bed. “No more secrets. I’m tired of secrets. I’m tired of feeling like I’m only getting half the story. Please.” 

  
“No more secrets,” he agrees. Silence spans across the two parties. “Come away with me. Next weekend. Skip the Homecoming game. I’ll explain everything to you. Just, please come.” 

  
Rey pauses, thinking about the jumpsuits Rose got for the two of them. She can go with Finn, Rey thinks to herself. “Okay.” 

  
“Okay.” She can hear Kylo’s smile through the phone. What she would give to see him smile at her right now. “Goodnight, Rey.”

  
Rey smiles at that. “Goodnight, Kylo.”

  
“Ben,” he corrects. “Call me Ben.” 

  
Rey’s smile widens at that. “Okay. Goodnight, Ben.”

  
The call ends shortly after that and Rey falls in a deep sleep. 

  
Outside her window, while she sleeps, two men stand, tall and ominous in the dark. Watching her, waiting for her next move. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some links:  
> 89.3 The Current The radio station mentioned is real and it’s pretty neat IMO. I basically have my music taste because of it lol  
> Foshay Tower To my knowledge, there’s not an actual speakeasy underneath the Foshay Tower, but I like to think there is. 
> 
> Updates for this fic every Monday from now on (at least I hope). I know this is technically Tuesday today, but that’s only because I fell asleep while editing this last night. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think :)


	6. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conflict grows in Ben as he contemplates his increasing affection for Rey and his duty to his Master.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi and Happy October!  
> I’ve decided to make this fic my main focus this month, because it’s (IMO) supreme October vibes. 
> 
> This chapter is short but it sets up some stuff for the rest of the story and continues to give us a glimpse into Ben’s world. 
> 
> The next two chapters are longer and are honestly gems IMO 
> 
> Content warning for this chapter:  
> —blood  
> —masturbation  
> —pining & angst  
> —emotional abuse (RE: Ben & Snoke)  
> —violence at the end

Rey. Rey. ReyReyReyReyRey. Her name echoes in Ben’s head in his head with a musical flourish. Rey. Such a simple name for such a beautiful woman. He thinks of the way she looked last night, clad in all-black like some sort of dream designed just for him. Her freckled face gazing onto his with kindness and interest, making him forget for just a moment that he’s a monster. That he’s something she should fear. 

Ben isn’t convinced that Rey would fear him, even when she discovered the truth. For one thing, Rey seems completely and utterly obsessed with death. At first, he thought she only spoke about death because she’s taking an Anthropology of Death class, but it seems to run much deeper than that. What a pair they would make! Rey being obsessed with death, Ben is obsessed with being alive. 

Ben lays on his back on the giant bed in his room. Vampires do not need to sleep and most of the vampires in the First Order find it highly amusing that he keeps a bed in his room. 

“It’s not like you ever have a use for it,” Hux sneered at him when it was delivered, his lips curled in disgust. “Are you planning on seducing people into your lair? Are you finally going to live up to your potential?” 

At the time, Ben just ignored Hux and his thinly veiled comments about bringing victims into his room to feed and then fuck and then feed again until death. Ben knew that was Hux’s preferred method of feeding. But even when Ben did feed on humans, he did so with little care of who the person was or their story. It was easier that way. 

Ben shivers at the memories. He stares at the ceiling, trying to ignore the tumult in his head. He runs his hands over the black duvet over the bed. Vampires don’t get cold, but wrapping himself in a blanket gives him some sort of childlike comfort. Ben wonders if he could give Rey warmth when she is cold. Does he emit body heat? It’s been so long since he’s been near a human, he isn’t sure anymore. 

Rey is warmth personified. Everything about her warms his dead heart. Her blushed cheeks, reminding him just how alive she is. And then the blush goes down her body, down her chest, and oh. 

Oh. 

Rey’s chest. Ben is not too proud to admit how much he noticed her chest. Her dress from yesterday gave just enough hint of her youthful breasts that Ben momentarily forgot any and all words in the English language. She’s truly magnificent.

He’s almost certainly in love with her. So much so it hurts. 

Ben groans, his fangs protruding out of his mouth as he continues to think about Rey. If he thinks about Rey in any way that may be considered impure, his urge to feed increases tenfold. It’s really becoming quite a nuisance. 

He gets out of bed, and walks to his closet, trying to ignore the pain in his mouth that is his fangs. When he opens his closet door, it looks like any ordinary closet. But hidden underneath the floorboards is his hidden stash of blood, courtesy of one Poe Dameron. 

Stupid Dameron and his hot and cold attitude towards Rey. Ben thought that Poe wanted him to be socialized into society. Maybe he just didn’t want Ben near Rey. Maybe, Ben thinks mournfully, Poe wants Rey for himself. 

Ben looks at his blood supply with rage. It’s woefully low, and he’s going to need a restock soon. But that would mean going back to see Dameron but if Poe wants Rey, then Ben might just kill the man. 

And he hasn’t killed someone in quite a long time. 

Sighing to himself, Ben grabs the bag, not even paying attention to the blood type. One of the cheekier vampires in the Resistance compared blood types to different types of wine. Ben didn’t understand it, blood tasted like blood. Then again, he hated wine when he was human. He rips open the nozzle of the blood bag and then bites down, taking in the bitter copper taste. 

He finishes the bag within seconds, quickly feeling as alive as a vampire can. The blood fuels him, making him feel more powerful and more like himself. He deeply wishes that Rey could see him like this. 

At the thought of Rey, his cock hardens in his trousers. He lays back on his bed, palming himself through his pants as he does. Every time he feeds as of late, he always ends up like this, woefully hard and aching for release. 

Slowly, he unbuttons his black pants, pushing them down his thighs until he’s in his black boxer briefs. He can see his cock already, half-hard through the fabric of his underwear. He takes off his shirt as well, knowing (somewhat guiltily) of the mess he’s about to make. 

He runs his hand over his chest, imagining Rey straddling on top of him, her much smaller hangs exploring the expanse of his body. He pinches his nipples, eliciting a small moan in response. In his mind’s eye, Rey is smiling at him, pleased at his arousal. 

His hands continue down the hard plane of his abs until he reaches the waistband of his boxer briefs. He tucks his thumbs underneath the elastic pushing the fabric down, letting his cock feel the slight tingle of coolness in the air. 

Ben doesn’t have much to compare his cock to, but he’d like to think that it’s a rather impressive specimen. It’s a large, thick sort of cock, slightly veiny and curved just a bit at the tip. The head of his cock bubblegum pink and protruding slightly outward, dripping pre-cum onto his stomach. With his right hand, Ben cups his balls, groaning out a moan at the sensation. He throws his neck back as he releases them out of his hand, thinking of Rey on her knees placing sweet kisses on his ballsack before sucking each into her mouth like a prize. 

He leans over the side of the bed and grabs his shamefully low bottle of lube tucked away underneath. He undoes the cap and pours some of the fluid into his hand before leaning back against his pillow and beginning his routine.

Ben starts slowly, gently stroking down his shaft. His mind wanders to Rey, imagining her hand taking his shaft. She would be blushing, as she wraps her hand on his cock, her much smaller fingers barely reaching the other end. Maybe she would reach down and kiss just the tip of his cock, lapping away the pre-cum as she does. 

Moaning, Ben picks up the speed of his hand, more focused on chasing his release than ever. He imagines what it would be like to undress Rey, to pull that pretty black dress off her body, revealing her form to him. Do her freckles continue down her body? Would her skin be flush and needy, desperate just for him? 

A thought enters his mind of Rey touching her own body, thinking of him when she takes her pleasure. He’s seen enough pornography to know in a vague sense what a woman looks like when she pleasures herself. He imagines Rey squirming, as she pushes one of her own fingers inside herself. Rey is always so alive to him but at that moment she would be the most exquisite creature he ever laid eyes on. Her head is thrown back in ecstasy as she chases her orgasm. 

At the very thought of Rey climaxing, Ben feels his orgasm build. He spills over himself, groaning and cursing as he does. Splashes of come, land on his body as he coaxes his climax out of his body. He stroked through the orgasm until his length is too sensitive for him to continue. He leans back against the pillows, completely spent from the experience.

Unwelcome guilt permeates through as he climbs down from his orgasm. How can he look Rey in the eyes, knowing the shameful things he thinks about her? If she knew, would she be disgusted? She’d be nice about it, perhaps, before slowly rejecting him. 

Ben sighs to himself, feeling defeated. He gets up, still naked, and walks across the room to clean himself up with a towel and get dressed once more. 

Once he’s cleaned up and a little more like himself, Ben walks into the loft of the First Order. He doesn’t notice anybody, but that doesn’t mean anything in a place full of vampires. Vampires are notoriously stealthy creatures.

He walks to the door, hoping to sneak out and get more blood bags from Poe when he hears a voice. The voice. “Kylo Ren,” the angry, raspy voice calls out. 

Ben stills and turns around towards Master Snoke. “Yes, my Master?” he asks, hoping that his voice sounds like the very definition of supplication. 

Snoke emerges out of the shadow, his large frame coming closer to Ben, his skin looking more ashy than usual. Ben wonders if one of his victims fought back. “You’ve disappointed me, my boy. You lied to me and disobeyed my orders.”

Ben flinches at the accusation. “My Lord, what orders?”

Snoke gives him a sly little smile, like a predator about to catch his prey. “If the girl is truly nothing, why were you with her at that little novel tucked away in Foshay?” Ben doesn’t respond, as fear strikes down his spine. “I have people everywhere, my young apprentice. You don’t think I could tell when you obeyed direct orders? Such a pity. When I took you in, I was wary, seeing that reckless heart of yours, so much like your father. Still, I saw in you so much potential—raw, untapped power from your bloodline. But in the end, here you are. Pathetic. Weak. Pining after a silly human girl.”

Ben doesn’t respond, just bowing his head in shame. “I killed Han Solo. When the time came I did what I thought I must.” 

“And the deed split you in two.”

Ben remains silent, fearing what will happen next. “If I find you with this girl—this Rey—I will personally ensure that she dies a painful death.” 

Internally, Ben flinches. How dare this man threaten her? Anger floods his veins as he plots a million different ways of destroying his Master. He could do it easily if it wasn’t for the fact that in doing so, he’d have the entire wrath of the First Order coven on him. He wouldn’t survive. 

Snoke smiles ruefully. “Come, my young apprentice. It’s time to serve your penance.” 

Ben follows Snoke down a dimly lit hallway, towards Snoke’s private chambers. He gulps, nothing good happens in Snoke’s chambers. 

Snoke pushes the heavy door open to a dimly lit room. Ben’s nostrils flare at the metallic stench of blood, feeling his fangs protrude once more. Chained to the daybed in the center is a young woman. She’s gagged and drugged, with blood dripping down her neck from a recent feeding. She’s dressed in a black dress, not dissimilar to the dress Rey wore to the speakeasy. The woman is not Rey, but she could be. They both have similar complexions. 

Ben suddenly understands what his penance must be. He closes his eyes, privately begging for mercy for his undead soul. 

Snoke just smiles. Ben can feel the sadistic fervor as he murmurs, “Finish her.” 

With lightning-fast speed, Ben rushes over to the girl. He closes his eyes and he presses down on her throat with his hands and twists, watching her corpse fall gracelessly to the floor. 

The only thought he could bring through his head is that Rey is somehow the key to his liberation. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed!  
> Please let me know in comments, the life blood of my existence lately lol

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed, check out my other fics  
> [lattes and shoe strings](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25622719/chapters/62196082) Rated T, a short coffeeshop AU featuring grumpy Ben and chatty Rey and an intense desire for fall.  
> [won't stop 'til we surrender](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25741420/chapters/62508916) Rated M, friends to lovers AU about growing up and leaving your hometown, WIP  
> [Melted](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25849474) Rated E, a hot oneshot about married reylo experimenting with wax play
> 
> Follow me on twitter, I mostly just thirst tweet:  
> [@icryforbensolo](https://twitter.com/icryforbensolo)


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